The Iceland mission was a lot of fun for a tutorial. It didn't even feel like a tutorial; it was basically a solid level which just showed off various weapons, different types of enemies, and -- like we said -- just really set the tone and pace for what else was to come. As for the Orick level, I hadn't personally played through it, but I had watched it being played over and over again with amusement. Part of that amusement was due to the fact that most who played it kept dying to the claws of the 'Predator-like' Chameleon Chimera. These are wickedly fast Chimera with invisibility cloaks that'll come up and kill in one hit. Avoiding them isn't easy, but it's possible by listening carefully for the sound they make and then keeping those sharp eyes peeled.

While we enjoyed our time with the single player experience, we certainly had exponentially more fun with the online co-op. Andrew and I joined forces to save mankind from the Chimera curse, he chose to be a medic and I took on the role of a soldier. As you probably already know, there are only three classes to choose from: medic, soldier, and special ops. Anyway, we suited up with six other journalists and Insomniac guys for a full 8-player game, and what we ended up with was probably the most fun online multiplayer experience I've ever had.

We entered one of the Iceland stages, and right away we were tackling giant-sized behemoths as a cohesive team. Things really got exciting when hordes (and I mean hordes) of Chimera started appearing ... and even one time dropping right down on us. It was a hectic battle -- in a positive respect of course. An interesting thing to take note of is that some of the enemies you'll encounter will have a red bar and a red star above their head. This signifies that they are a primary target, or consider them as "bosses" for their extra toughness. The more stars, the tougher the enemy; max number of stars is set at three. As for the red bar, it's the enemy boss' life meter.

Now, one other item regarding the co-op mode is that it can be really tough as well. It's easy to fail if you're not acting properly as a team. It's important that all team members act according to their roles and give each team member support because, quite frankly, you'll be fighting massive waves of enemies that will greatly outnumber you and outmatch you in stamina -- yeah, they obviously take more hits than you do. Overall, the co-op mode is going to definitely be fun for those that love small group squads versus massive enemy armies and just good old strategic combat. Simply put this mode is irresistible.

All in all, it was difficult to peel away from the gaming booth and end our time with R2, but hey, that's the way it's got to be. We're excited to see more and certain you're looking to get your very own hands-on time with the public beta next month. The release date of November 4 is a long time away from now, and yet, we can't help start pondering whether we're going out to vote that day or staying home indoors and fighting the good fight ... you know, for our country's sake. Save the country by voting for the right president, or save the country from a Chimeran invasion? It's a tough choice indeed.